The Tribune

By INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZELAYA

AMID everything happening in the world, sometimes it’s good to reflect on how things stack up here in our small corner of the globe.

For one thing, we can’t begin to imagine living with the onslaught of military assault the people of Ukraine currently face. Since the start of the Russian Federation’s invasion of that country, more than one million Ukrainians have fled their homes. Babies are being born in bomb shelters.

It’s a tragic situation all around.

At the United Nations this week, we were among 141 countries that voted ‘yes’ on a resolution to condemn Russia. This is the first (and probably last) time I will say that Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell hit the right notes in his communication on behalf of the country.

Mitchell’s statement read: “The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and led by its President Vladimir Putin is wrong, unlawful and should end and be reversed.”

He went on to say (as only he would put it) that, “The Bahamas supports the right of self-determination, the inviolability of territory settled within legally defined borders. The seizure of territories based on tendentious interpretations of history should not be the basis for hegemony over other nations and peoples without their consent. We again call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and for the Russians to withdraw to their borders.”

I don’t know about you, but “tendentious interpretations of history” and “hegemony” sound like verbal ‘fighting’ words, as well they should. Though we as a country are not officially allied with either combatants, or NATO, we are a democracy. ‘Abstaining’ or sitting on the sidelines when we are asked to voice our opinion on a smaller democratic country coming under attack from its larger, stronger neighbour is just not the moral choice.

Of course, nothing in this world is for free. So while Western nations line up in support of Ukraine, we are already being warned that oil and gas prices are about to skyrocket. I read somewhere that we may hit prices of up to $8 a gallon for gasoline, which means now is a good time to air up my bicycle tyres.

There is also a bit of scandal brewing at home around Bahamas Power and Light (BPL). Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Michael Pintard wants the Davis administration to explain BPL’s hedging programme status, warning the government’s handling of that contract could leave Bahamians facing higher electricity costs.

This newspaper reported on fears raised yesterday that Bahamians could suffer a $200m-plus hit if the fuel hedging strategy that the Davis administration met in place were not renewed. So I have my fingers, toes, eyes, and other body parts crossed, hoping that Minister of Public Works Alfred Sears sets the record straight soon.

Then there are a few articles I have read where our name gets mentioned regarding the financial sanctions raining down on Russian Oligarchs. There is speculation a few such persons may or may not have parked their money, jets, and superyachts in our beautiful backyard. No doubt our diplomatic corps will be busy in the coming weeks and months.

A friend recently lamented that just as we are starting to catch a break from COVID, here come the knock-on effects of war, with even the threat of nuclear confrontation dangling out there. I know, It’s been a rough two years.

Still, as we brace for how the war in Eastern Europe will affect us here at home, it’s good to remember that we are living the life of Riley compared to many others. We have our issues, but at least we have the opportunity to work on them without warships on our border and missiles above our heads.

Here’s hoping that the global climate gets better before it gets much worse. And if you’re minded to, say a prayer for people everywhere facing the horror of senseless wars.